How badly do I barf?

[lizardclan]

I had old GRE scores which were no longer reportable taken January 2006, so I had to retake the GRE, with the new scoring system.

155V (barf!), 165M, 3.5 writing

I had a bad test day, my previous non-reportable scores were better: 580V, 790M, 5.0 writing.

Where do I register on the barf-o-meter?

-the lizard

[process chemist]

Why did you wait so long to apply to new schools. A 165 M, which is not on the concordiance table mind you, is about a 790-800 on the old scale. A 155 V is equivalent to a 530 on the old scale. There is no need to freak out, because you have at least a 1320. This will surely get you past the cut offs at most schools. But why only three schools. What is your GPA? Do you have research experience? Do you have any pubs? You need to greatly expand your net when applying to graduate schools. My co-worker has a PhD in Chemistry. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Penn, GPA >3.5, excellent GRE scores, and she was rejected by 10 of the 12 schools she applied to. It is not just about good scores, or where you want to live, but its about how you compare to other applicants in that year's application pool. At CalTech, you will have many students w/ GRE scores >1400, CS subject test >85%, and GPAs >3.7. Your competiton in this are some of the smartest people in the world, not just the people in California. Did you take the CS GRE? I am just saying this because seeing your GRE scores (Which are only 50 points lower than you previous attempt), you can get into many more schools. Expand your horizons, and pick schools based upon the research.

[lizardclan]

Thank you for all the good advice. I'm not a typical student, but I won't take the time to describe myself, except to say I'm a 42-year-old male, currently single, no dependents, and I want to stay very, very close to family in Southern California.

Caltech is like pie in the sky, so I had to apply. Next year, I'll widen my search. I've visited UCLA twice, and I didn't like them. Traffic, parking, housing costs, and their computer science department has a closed-door policy (I thought I'd drop by and talk to professors, and find one or two who had similar research interests, but this is not allowed).

I did my undergrad at UC Irvine, and I don't want to return. I've visited UC Riverside twice, and I love them! I was able to speak with professors (they leave their doors open while inside!), and I was invited to stay for a research seminar.

Geographically, I live very close to USC, just down the 110 freeway from me (I can always buy a car!), so next year I'll have to apply there, but I don't want to live in South Central LA.

Any other recommendations?

Sincerely,

-the lizard